Gwen Ifill, the co-host of PBS NewsHourand one of the most respected and admired journalists in the country, has passed away at the age of 61, PBS announced on Monday.
Ifill—who took a leave of absence in the spring and had been originally scheduled to cover last Tuesday’s election but had to miss it—died from cancer, multiple news outlets reported. The Daily Beastreported that she received the cancer diagnosis less than a year ago.
“Gwen was a standard bearer for courage, fairness and integrity in an industry going through seismic change. She was a mentor to so many across the industry and her professionalism was respected across the political spectrum. She was a journalist’s journalist and set an example for all around her,” said PBS NewsHourexecutive producer Sara Just, in a statement. “So many people in the audience felt that they knew and adored her. She had a tremendous combination of warmth and authority. She was stopped on the street routinely by people who just wanted to give her a hug and considered her a friend after years of seeing her on TV. We will forever miss her terribly.”
In addition to hosting the NewsHour, Ifill was the longtime moderator of the PBS program Washington Week; a former reporter for the Boston Herald-American, the Washington Post, the New York Times,and NBC; and the moderator of vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008. She was also the author of the 2009 book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
Here’s how the New York Timesdescribed one of the book’s central findings about the 2008 presidential contest and Barack Obama’s election:
AdvertisementIfill rightly dismisses the notion that America has become a “postracial” country, but acknowledges the insight of Obama’s adviser David Axelrod that “the story of this race is that race didn’t play the decisive role that people thought it would.” Axelrod describes Obama’s race-neutral strategy as quite simply “a function of math”: electing an African-American in a country where African-Americans make up 13 percent of the population required a candidate who appealed to nonblack voters. “As countless new black leaders have discovered, the key to breaking through often lies in just such a crossover—putting whites at ease without alienating blacks,” Ifill writes.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement
Politicoreported that Ifill was set to receive the 2016 John Chancellor Award from Columbia University on Wednesday.
AdvertisementTributes poured in from former colleagues and fellow journalists who praised Ifill for her skill as a journalist and for her general decency.
AdvertisementTruly there was no one like @gwenifill . Thoughtful, calm, and so giving with her time and mentorship to young journalists.
— Kate Nocera (@KateNocera) November 14, 2016
Gwen Ifill, RIP. Probably the most gracious person on television.
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) November 14, 2016
Advertisement AdvertisementJust heartbroken about losing Gwen Ifill. She owned every beat she was on, whether at the @nytimes @NBCNews or @NewsHour or anywhere else
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) November 14, 2016
Advertisement AdvertisementGwen Ifill was the nation's foremost television journalist, and its kindest.
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) November 14, 2016
Hard to know what to say other than "thank you." https://t.co/lUrBgSY2Qg
AdvertisementGwen Ifill was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met in the press. Also, one of the best. This is too much. https://t.co/1eUOUCZm2x
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) November 14, 2016
AdvertisementI will miss you, friend. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. @gwenifill pic.twitter.com/oNxNY5AxRf
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) November 14, 2016
AdvertisementGwen Ifill, RIP. In a league of her own. A wonderful woman and mentor. An incisive and compelling reporter. pic.twitter.com/yZHw6cDcGr
— Robert Costa (@costareports) November 14, 2016
Advertisement AdvertisementMy heart is broken. Gwen Ifill was one of the greats.
— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) November 14, 2016
Advertisement AdvertisementWe have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. I’m am heartbroken that we must do it without Gwen Ifill. Wonderful journalist and person.
— jelani cobb (@jelani9) November 14, 2016
.@gwenifill was everything all of us want to be: smart, fierce, loyal, fair. She deserves the everlasting peace she now has. RIP my friend.
— Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) November 14, 2016
AdvertisementThe extraordinarily timed and intelligent Gwen Ifill has passed away from cancer. I will so miss her impeccable character and friendship.
— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) November 14, 2016
Political figures also weighed in from across the ideological spectrum, including interim Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementI am saddened to learn about the passing of Gwen Ifill—an incredibly talented and respected journalist.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 14, 2016
With deep and profound sadness. My friend, -- the @NewsHour anchor @gwenifill has gone on to glory. We will miss her voice, her works & more
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) November 14, 2016
Face the Nationhost and SlatePolitical Gabfest co-host John Dickerson wrote an emailed remembrance of Ifill, with whom he worked on Washington Week, for Slate, part of which is quoted here:
AdvertisementWhen I was first asked to be on Washington WeekI never prepared more for an appearance. I wanted to be worthy of her show where she held up reporting and gave you a chance to talk and where she felt so keenly the duty she had to all the people watching.
If you were on Gwen’s show you became a collector of compliments. People would stop me all across the country to say great things about her. A guy once interrupted me at the gym when I was doing the bench press to tell me how much he loved Gwen.Tweet Share Share Comment
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